Monthly Archives: February 2016

There is something frentic about the construction of the prose in Crossbones. Its cinematic focus can shift from sentence to sentence within a paragraph. I’m struck by the interchangeability of (though with complicating nuances) characters’ situations, and the break-neck speed … Continue reading →

In “Necropolitics” Achille Mbembe discusses what he refers to as the concept of “management of the multitudes” (34) within contemporary warfare. For Mbembe, the management of the multitudes within areas ravaged by resource extraction is analogous with “brutal attempts to … Continue reading →

Alex Beecroft’s announcement, and the full schedule, below. Seydina at 10:30! Vilashini Cooppann at 4:00!!!!!!! See you there… Dear All, A quick reminder about the upcoming 18th annual Comparative Literature conference, this year on the theme of “Worlding the Disciplines.” … Continue reading →

Through our discussion on Sozaboy on Tuesday we ran into statements all about salt from a preacher. There are other statements as well that focus on salt, but I would like to isolate specifically this one. “’You people are the … Continue reading →

In Necropolitics, Mbembe provides a comprehensive and nuanced map of colonial violence. He further provides coordinates at the intersection of history, culture, and politics, to help us navigate the uncertain relationship between autonomy and terrorism. Of particular interest to me … Continue reading →

When reading some of the pieces for this week, I was struck by some of the insinuations or implications of ambiguity in the African novel. Ambiguity in this context contrast a set of events, letting the African novel reflect the … Continue reading →

“My concern is those figures of sovereignty whose central project is not the struggle for autonomy but the generalized instrumentalization of human existence and the material destruction of human bodies and populations. Such figures of sovereignty are far from a … Continue reading →